He's short, covered in hair and very elusive. He's the Albatwitch, known as a "baby Bigfoot," and you'll have a chance to celebrate him at the 10th annual Albatwitch Day. The event will be held at Columbia River Park, 41 Walnut St., from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 14.
The day will feature live music, vendors, food, guest speakers and more.
"We've got some great speakers coming in," said Rick Fisher, who is organizing the festival with Chris Vera. "We've got Dave Spinks from West Virginia, who has appeared on a number of TV shows, including 'Terror in the Woods.' We have Sean 'The Forkchop' Forker, who does a popular podcast called 'Sasquatch Experience,' and we have Matt Lake, who wrote 'Weird Pennsylvania' and other books. We also have Rissa Miller, who will be talking about the history of witches."
Five bands will perform during the day - Dillweed, Travelers, Sound Method, Heroes 4 Ransom and Tang Moon - and both daytime and evening trolley rides through town will be offered.
"During the day, the tours will run every 45 minutes, so you can get tickets at the event," Fisher said. Participants on the daytime tours are given apples to throw into the woods, tempting the Albatwitch to reveal himself in search of his favorite snack.
Fisher recommends purchasing tickets ahead of time for the night-time haunted trolley tour rides, which sell out quickly. "When we do the ghost trolley tour, Chris and I take flashlights along, and we look to see if any of the apples were eaten," he said.
More than 80 vendors will be featured at Albatwitch Day as well, Vera said. "What I always think of when I'm getting vendors is, 'A husband might be a Bigfoot guy, but his wife may hate Bigfoot.' I want to be sure she's happy, too." Vendors will sell items including handmade jewelry, Halloween decor and Bigfoot crafts.
"It's a mixture of anything and everything," Vera said. "It's like an off-the-wall craft show, and everything is homemade."
Local nonprofits will have booths set up at the festival, including Rivertown Theatre Productions, Raven Ridge Wildlife Center and the Indian Steps Museum. Lancaster PA Ghostbusters will be on hand, as will Michael Mitchel from New York, who will bring his K-9 Ghostbuster, a golden retriever who dresses in a Ghostbusters outfit.
Local churches, including St. Paul Episcopal and Holy Trinity, will have food stands, and several local restaurants will have themed specials. Starview Brews will feature a special drink for the event, and Home Goodies & Coffee will sell an Albatwitch breakfast sandwich.
The dungeons below the Columbia Market House, at 15 S. Third St., will be open for free tours before the festival begins, Fisher said, adding, "Come to the market, take a dungeon tour and get some breakfast before you head to the event."
Proceeds from Albatwitch Day will benefit the Columbia Historic Preservation Society, located at 21 N. Second St. For more information or to reserve trolley tickets, visit http://www.albatwitchday.com or follow "Albatwitch Day" on Facebook.
Leave a Review